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Year 3 - English

Spelling the 'ay' sound with 'ei' or 'ea'

Prefixes, homonyms and homophones

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn spelling and grammar conventions associated with prefixes meaning 'not', like dis-, non-, mis- and un-, as well as the spelling of homophones, homonyms and some compound words.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to spell words with the 'ay' sound using 'ei' or 'ea'.

Key Notes

  • Common spellings for the 'ay' phoneme are 'ay', 'a-e' and 'ai'.
  • Alternative and rarer spellings for the 'ay' phoneme are 'ei', 'eigh', 'ea', 'a' and 'ey'.
  • When exploring words including the same phoneme, you often find homophones.
  • Using the strategy 'big letters' is a useful practice strategy.
  • Words in word families often have similar spellings.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • phoneme: the smallest unit of sound
  • grapheme: the letter or group of letters that represent a sound
  • rare: rare spellings are spellings which appear less frequently
  • homophone: words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Children may forget the most common spellings and use the most recently learnt spellings.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Common spellings for the 'ay' phoneme are 'ay', 'a-e' and 'ai'. Alternative and rarer spellings for the 'ay' phoneme are 'ei', 'eigh', 'ea', 'a' and 'ey'.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'phoneme'

the smallest unit of sound.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Children may forget the most common spellings and use the most recently learnt spellings. Correction: Always emphasise prior learning. Show examples of words including incorrect and correct spellings to discuss (e.g. train and trean).

More Lessons In This Unit

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